UN Report Finds Systemic Conflict-Related Sexual Violence in Sri Lanka Continued Well Beyond 2009

Overview

• The OHCHR paper, based on more than a decade of monitoring and survivor consultations, concludes that sexual violence was deliberate, widespread and institutionally enabled, with some acts potentially amounting to war crimes or crimes against humanity.
• Investigators document incidents extending years after the civil war’s end, citing cases reported as recently as 2024 and noting a persistent legacy of impunity.
• Survivors continue to face intimidation, surveillance and stigma that drive under-reporting, with male and LGBTQ+ survivors particularly invisible or criminalized under existing laws.
• The report highlights domestic legal gaps including the absence of specific legislation, statutes of limitation, limited forensic capacity and rare prosecutions, despite Sri Lanka’s international legal obligations.
• OHCHR calls for public acknowledgement and a formal apology, survivor-centred legal and security-sector reforms, an independent prosecution office and comprehensive reparations, while Amnesty urges the government to commit to a public implementation timeline, noting the president’s stated intent to act.